Health spa for apartments

Blue Gate Development Corp., owners of the former Pavion cosmetic company that is now Cosmetics 2K, have proposed building 120 to 150 condominiums and a wellness center on a nearly 4-acre parcel near Cedar Hill Avenue.

The owners of a makeup manufacturer say their plan to build apartments and a health spa would provide more than cosmetic improvements to the downtown, but some say their proposal is too dense for the site.

Before they can proceed, however, the corporation needs a zone change from the village Board of Trustees.

The proposal has been in the works for about a year and there have been concerns about its density and impact on the downtown.

"Blue Gate is an effort to revitalize downtown Nyack by bringing in new residents that will help Nyack," Dennis Lynch, attorney for Blue Gate, said yesterday. "You don't need an economist to tell you why the village has problems. You need a set of eyes."

Residents and village officials have long agreed on the need to attract new businesses and shoppers to its downtown.

The village board will continue its public hearing at 7:30 p.m. today at Village Hall, 9 N. Broadway.

The proposal calls for 275 to 302 residents and $2 million in tax revenue. The spa - with some retail, beauty services and other health components - would be open to the public.

"It's a whole gestalt of wellness," Lynch said.

The property is zoned for manufacturing, and the owners are requesting that it be changed to downtown development, which Lynch said would be consistent with neighboring buildings, where zoning allows for more residential units.

"We have shown the zoning here would benefit the entire community," he said.

Others have concerns, though.

Trustee Richard Kavesh said the size of the proposal might be too large for the site and that it might have to be scaled down. Kavesh cited the village's master plan, which calls for mixed use for that area.

"I personally feel we should zone it for mixed use," Kavesh said. "I think we should have a mix of residential and commercial. ... In my opinion, that's just a bit too dense for Nyack. Nyack would be better served with a mix of shopping and apartments."

The Rockland County Planning Department also expressed concern about the density of the housing proposal.

Lynch said reducing the project's size would hinder its profitability and that the developer needed financial incentive to make the plan work, especially with the village law that requires that all new buildings designate 20 percent of the units as affordable, workforce housing.

"We have to deal with reality, if you want to bring new disposable income to Nyack with working-force housing, then it must justify it," Lynch said, adding that the state and federal revitalization funds were not as prevalent as they were in the 1960s. "The only way you're going to infuse money is to have the private sector do it."

Mayor John Shields said he favored a zone change because he viewed residential development as good for the downtown and its businesses. Shields also said the addition of affordable units would be good for Nyack.

"Residents in our downtown are healthy to our community," he said.

Reach Gerald McKinstry at gmckinst@lohud.com or 845-578-2439.

By GERALD MCKINSTRY. Source: www.thejournalnews.com